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Renee and Luke were
already married and
had two children
when Luke looked into
joining the RAAF.
The couple talked about
the change in great detail
before embarking on their
adventure.
“We agreed Luke could
join so long as I didn’t have
to pass the physical fitness
test every year, iron any
uniforms or get yelled at,”
Renee said.
The family was posted to
Darwin—not Renee’s first
choice of locations.
“I didn’t like hot weather,
but Darwin it was,” she said.
But Renee decided to make
the most of the opportunity.
“I researched the area
as much as I could; joined
military partner groups on
Facebook; looked up the
touristy things to do; and
found out where I could
continue my hobbies.”
Renee’s hobbies were
swing dancing—which was
how she met her husband—
and reading.
She quickly found “a
fabulous group” of swing
dancers in Darwin who
warmly welcomed her into
their group.
Renee also looked into
joining a book club there but,
with Luke frequently away
and two small children to
look after, found it difficult to
get to meetings.
The solution was to join
an online book club—that’s
when things took off.
“After connecting with
several Australian authors
online, I decided to have a
go at writing my own book,”
she said.
“I’d looked for
contemporary stories set in
Darwin and novels about the
Australian military but hadn’t
found many.
“For years, I’d searched
for stories about swing
dancing but they were
scarce too—so there was
my idea!”
The end result was Don’t
Mean a Thing—a fictional
story about 30-year-old
introvert, Macie Harman, who
joined the military, posted to
Darwin and took up swing
dancing to make friends.
“I decided she would
have to meet a man, fall in
love and live happily ever
after—but not that easily of
course,” Renee said.
“The characters aren’t
based on particular people,
butIdoseealotofmyselfin
the main character.
“My hopes for my novel
are that it gives Australian
military women a story they
can relate to; introduces
some of the struggles of
military life to non-military
people; and inspires
everyone to take up swing
dancing so that I have more
people to dance with.” n
Renee Conoulty often takes her laptop
and works wherever she is—in a cafe,
waiting in the car for the kids after school
or in a park. Photo by Rex Ryan.
Renee Conoulty HAD NO IDEA that her
husband’s change of career would also take
her IN A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION.
DANCING
THROUGH LIFE
GRAHAM ORAMS
YOURSTORIES